Car-coupling



(No Model.)

L. J. KE1VIP.'4 GAR COUPLING.

No. 428,918; Patented May 27, 1890.v

' UNITED VSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEE .I. KEMP, OF RIDGEWAY, MISSOURI.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,918, dated May 27, 1890.

Application filed March 31, 1890. Serial No. 346,047. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LEE J. KEMP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ridgeway, in the county of Harrison and State of Missouri', have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and l do declare the following to be a full,clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in car-couplings; and it relates more particularly to that class of carcoupling devices in which provision is had for uncoupling the cars from the roof of therIhe invention has for its obj ect to improve upon the construction and render more efficient in operation this class of car-couplers; and it has for a further object to provide an attachment to thef coupling device proper which will serve to prevent the coupling-pin from being accidentally disengaged from its connection with the coupling-link.

To the above ends, and to such others as the invention may pertain, the same consists in the peculiar construction and in the novel combination, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and then specically dened in the appended claim.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form apart of this specification, like letters of reference indicating like parts througout the several views, and in which drawingsk Figure l is a perspective view of a carcoupling device constructed in accordance with my invention, the same being shown as attached to a car, and t-he parts being shown in the positions that they will occupy when in readiness for coupling. Fig. 2 is a side elevation in which the parts are shown in the positions assumed when the cars have been coupled, a portion of the draw-head being shown as broken away.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A represents the drawhead, which is similar in form to the drawheads which are commonly used upon railway-cars, and is attached to the car in the usual manner. The draw-head is provided with the usual open recess A for the reception of the coupling-link, which is passed vertically through a suitable opening formed in the draw-head. A spring A2, secured within the rear portion of the draw-head,with its free end adapted to bear upon the rear end of the coupling-link B, serves to hold the link normally in a horizontal position and in readiness for coupling.

The coupling-pin A3 is passed vertically through the plate A4, and the said plate is secured to the pin at a point near the upper end of the pin, as shown. The ends of the plate Al are provided with vertical holes, through which are passed the standards O and D, which standards rise from the upper face of the draw-head, one upon each side of the coupling-pin, as shown. The openings in the plate A4 are of suflicient size to permit thc plate to be moved freely up and down, the standards serving as a guide.

To the .enlarged upper end of the' standard D is secured the upper end of the springplate D which spring carries upon its rear face a lug D2, said lug being bolted or otherwise firmly attached to the spring. This lug is adapted, when the plate A4, carrying the coupling-pin, is raised, to engage the lower face. of the plate, as indicated in Fig. l of the drawings, and thus serve to hold the pin in position for coupling. Eis a transverse shaft secured at its ends within the ears E', which rise upon either side of the draw-bead near its front end, and upon this shaft is pivotally secured the lever E2, one arm of the lever bearing against the under face of the free end of the spring-plate D', while the opposite end of the lever is weighted, as shown at E3, and

this weighted arln serves as a handle for tiltf lOO roof of the car with a suitable handle, and by ineans of this rod the coupling-pin may be raised from its engagement with the coupling-link, as will be readily understood.

The operation of the device is simple and is readily understood. The parts being in the positions shown in Fig l and it being proposed to couple the car, the coupling-link is passed into the slot in the draw-head and the weighted end of the lever E2 is pressed downward, thus forcing' the opposite end of the lever against the inner face ot' the free end of the spring D', raising said spring and releasing the lug D2 from the plate A4, and allowing the said plate to fall, carrying with it the coupling-pin- Having thus described niy invention, what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by lietters Patent, is-

The herein-described improvement in carcouplings, the saine con1prising,iu combination, a draw-head having a recess for the reception of the coupling-link and a vertical opening for the coupling-pin,tl1e couplingpin carrying near its upper end the plate A, the standards C and D upon each side of the coupling-pin and passing through the plate, the spring D', the lug upon the rear face of the spring adapted to engage the plate carried by the coupling-pin, the shaft E, cxtending transversely across the upper face of the draw-hcad near its front edge, the lever E2, sleeved upon the shaft E, with one of its ends bearing against the rear face of the spring-plate D at its free end, andthe rod F, secured at its lower end to the coupling-pin and at its upper end provided with an operating-handle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ailix iny signature in presence of two Witnesses.

LEE J. KEMP. W'tnesscs:

WM. A. BIINER, WILLIAM KEMP. 

